Santa Monica water and sewer rates
Who supplies water to Santa Monica houses, what it costs, and how the sewer charge works.
Pay or manage it
City of Santa Monica
City of Santa Monica Water Resources, bills every two months (fixed charge by meter size plus three tiers per HCF; FY 2026/27 rates from July 1, 2026)
| Use a month | Price per unit (CCF, 748 gallons) |
|---|---|
| Fixed charge | $29.04 a month |
| 0 to 5 units | $7.86 |
| 5 to 9 units | $9.15 |
| 9 to more | $14.34 |
- Source
- Up to 75% is local groundwater from wells in Santa Monica and West Los Angeles; the other 25% is bought from the Metropolitan Water District.
- PFAS
- The City has sampled its sources for PFAS since 2019 and has not detected it; all samples were non-detect.
- Lead & violations
- Lead at household taps: 90th percentile 2.1 ppb, 0 of 35 sites over the action level (2022 testing). No MCL violations in 2024.
Sewer
City of Santa Monica wastewater, billed every two months on the City utility bill: a fixed single-family charge ($23.76 per two months from July 1, 2026) plus $5.27 per HCF on 85% of your average winter water use.
Ways to pay less
- Low income: water discount. Households that qualify for the City's utility users tax exemption or for SCE or SoCalGas low-income help pay less for the first tier of water. How: Ask the City Water Resources Division, (310) 458-8531 or water.resources@santamonica.gov.
Sources
- City of Santa Monica 2025 water rate resolution (FY 2025/26–2029/30)
- City of Santa Monica 2025 water and wastewater rate notice
- City of Santa Monica 2025 Water Quality Report
Checked October 20, 2026. Every number here comes from the public sources listed, matched by our checker.
Rates change every year; this page shows when it was last checked. Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.